Get Comfy, It’s Cozy Game Season

By The Catcall Team

We’ve got nothing against intense video games with lots of action and noise, but sometimes the moment calls for something a little more relaxing. Cozy games are typically low stress, and the right one can feel like a warm hug. They’re a great way to unwind or set the tone for the day.

What makes one person feel toasty and snug might not be the same for another. Popular games like Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley are classics for a reason, but if you’re looking to switch your cozy gaming up with something fresh, then you’ve come to the right place! At Catcall, we love a cozy game. So we rounded up our team and shared some of our favorites. Give ‘em a play and let us know what you think.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure

Nicole Mitchell, Social Media Manager

Available on Switch, PC, Apple Arcade, and PlayStation

If you love Hello Kitty and cozy life simulations, you’ll love everything about this game. Befriend Sanrio characters, restore a deserted island, and solve a mystery along the way. You can expect the typical aspects of a life sim like crafting items, decorating your home, and a range of events to partake in. Celebrate friendship through gifting and completing quests. You’ll unlock new areas and abilities as you play more.

Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! / Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee!

Emily Laptad, Managing Editor & Strategy Director

Available on Switch

If you’ve played a Pokémon game before, you know the drill. Partner up wth Pikachu or Eevee and go on an adventure. You’ll explore the region of Kanto and catch other Pokémon along the way. The map and characters found in the game carry fresh aspects but are super nostalgic for seasoned players too. Battle other trainers, gym leaders, and even Team Rocket. You can also battle and trade with people you know through local wireless. This is an approachable game guaranteed to please new and old trainers alike.

Lemon Cake

Sophia-Joelle McDowell, Senior Staff Writer

Available on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, & PC

The game starts with a broken-down, overgrown, and haunted bakery. It’s up to you to prepare pastries from farm to table while working to restore the abandoned bakery. You’ll repair, furnish, and decorate a few different rooms, grow fresh ingredients in the greenhouse, take care of trees and plants, and pet your adorable farm animals who give you milk and eggs. There’s even a beehive that allows you to collect honey. Prepare a variety of recipes, including pastries, candies, and frozen desserts. Stay on top of orders as you serve your customers quickly and keep your window display stocked. Lately, I’ve needed a super low-stakes cozy game, which is precisely what Lemon Cake brings to the table.

Loddlenauts

Kelcie McKenney, Editor-in-Chief

Available on Switch & PC

Far-away planet GUP-14’s ocean is riddled with pollutants left behind by corporation GUPPI. Your job is to clean it up and repurpose the debris—think of a cleaning simulator but make it the cutest it can be. On your journey, you’ll come across adorable axolotle-like alien sea creatures called loddles that you can care for by cleaning them up, feeding them snacks, and building them toys. Loddlenaut is the perfect mix of coziness from caretaking and satisfaction from getting the ocean sparkling clean. Plus, the studio donates to real-life ocean cleanup efforts with every purchase. Cozy and impactful!

Dragon Quest Builders

Travis Young, Contributing Photographer

You wake up in an unknown world overrun with evil. After finding other survivors in the land, you discover that you are a builder—an expertise that has long been lost to the world. As you explore different destroyed kingdoms, you find new materials, blueprints, and townsfolk that help you rebuild those kingdoms and restore the world from the grips of evil. Essentially, if Minecraft was extremely Japanese with little chibi-style characters and had story elements similar to the Japanese Role Playing Game (JRPG) genre, you’d have Dragon Quest Builders. The world is open, so it’s an extremely cozy and approachable sandbox with direction if you need it.

Spiritfarer

Whitney Young, Art Director (Photography)

PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, & PC/Steam

The best cozy games are the ones that make you feel something, and boy, does Spiritfarer do just that. You are quickly introduced to the main character, Stella, and her trusty sidecat, Daffodil. Your mission: care for and ferry spirits to the afterlife. Sounds cute, right? It is, but while you build your base, farm and craft materials, befriend unique spirits, and explore the metaphorical ocean that is this world’s limbo, you explore what life is, what it means, and how to let go of the ones you love.

Cult of the Lamb

Maddy Best, Designer

PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, macOS, and Windows

Rogue-like action adventure combat meets survival crafting and base building in Cult of the Lamb. The game opens during sacrifice of the Lamb—that’s you—as the Four Bishops attempt to eradicate your kind in an attempt to keep their power. They succeed, but it is not the end. The One Who Waits sees your potential. Resurrected by the deity prophesied to destroy the Bishops, you are tasked with the mission of building a cult to appease the dark god. In a delightful blend of cute, creepy, and the occult, you split your time between dungeon-crawler crusades and cult-ivating a home for the followers you save along the way.

Final Fantasy XIV

Shelby Faulkner, Staff Writer

Available on PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and Mac

As you dive into Final Fantasy XIV, you’ll find a rich fantasy world with endless possibilities and a surprisingly large and welcoming community. While there is an epic main story that will destroy you emotionally, you also have the option to embrace the game’s many cozy elements. If you’re like me, that means spending countless hours decorating your house, chatting with friends, collecting minions, and making cute outfits for your character. There’s no wrong way to play, and there’s a little something for everyone.